SRINAGAR: Patient care services at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H), Jammu, remained in crisis for the second consecutive day on Thursday, as junior doctors continued their indefinite strike in protest against the alleged assault on two female doctors by a patient’s attendant.
The strike, which began following the alleged incident earlier this week, has severely disrupted critical healthcare functions. Outpatient services, inpatient care, and elective surgeries have come to a halt, while emergency departments are being run with difficulty by a limited team of senior doctors and consultants. The situation has placed immense pressure on hospital infrastructure, raising concerns over patient safety and continuity of care.
Tensions at the hospital escalated further as a standoff erupted between the protesting doctors and the family of a deceased patient, with both parties trading serious allegations. The resident doctors accused the patient’s kin of physically assaulting their colleagues, while the deceased’s family blamed the doctors for medical negligence, which they claim led to the death.
In a show of anger and solidarity, junior doctors staged a protest demonstration outside the Emergency Ward, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused attendant. Holding placards and raising slogans, the doctors asserted they would not resume duties until justice is delivered.
“Our colleagues were assaulted while discharging their duties. We demand immediate police action. Until the arrest is made, we will not return to work,” said one of the protesting doctors.
To manage the disruption, senior faculty members have stepped in to fill the operational vacuum. Dr Ashutosh Gupta, Principal and Dean of GMC Jammu, assured that the administration is doing everything possible to mitigate the crisis. “Our senior doctors are managing the hospital operations. We are prioritising emergency cases to ensure no critically ill patient suffers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Syed Abid Rashid Shah, Secretary of Health and Medical Education, convened a late-night meeting on Wednesday with representatives of the agitating doctors. He urged them to return to work in the interest of public health and assured them that strict legal action would be initiated against those found guilty. However, the doctors remained unmoved, insisting that no talks would progress until the accused was arrested.
As the strike drags on, hundreds of patients and their families are facing mounting inconvenience. Routine operations have been thrown into disarray, and with no arrest or breakthrough in talks reported till the last update, the stalemate threatens to prolong the disruption.
The situation has reignited debate over workplace safety for medical professionals and the urgent need for stronger security measures in government hospitals.
